Farmers upset as hybrid seeds yield sterile paddy plants

Farmers set fire to sterile paddy plants during their human chain programme in front of Noakhali deputy commissioner's office on Sunday demanding compensation for losses and punishment to the companies that lured them into buying and cultivating 'low quality' hybrid rice seeds jhalak and hira that yielded the sterile plants.

Farmers of different upazilas in Noakhali district have suffered losses as cultivation of alleged low quality hybrid rice seeds jhalak and hira has yielded very little rice grains this season.
Earlier on Sunday, the farmers formed a human chain in front of the deputy commissioner's office demanding compensation for their losses and punishment to Supreme Seed Company and Energy-pack Company limited who marketed hira and jhalak seeds respectively.
Several farmers of Subornachar upazila including Bhulu Member, Latif Master, Karim Saodagar, Oli Ullah and Nabi Mia said they were attracted by the publicity of the local dealers of Supreme Seed Company and cultivated hira seeds in vast areas of lands but the plants produced sterile paddy, having no rice grains.
Confirming the matter, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Nipendro Kumar Sarker said he has already informed the higher authorities in written and sent letters to the alleged seed companies to inspect the fields and compensate the farmers.
Ruhul Amin, deputy director of Noakhali Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) said, "It is really a matter of sorrow and we are investigating the matter. If the farmers' allegation against the seed companies is found true they cannot evade the responsibility."
Regional manager of Supreme Seed Company, Mojibur Rahman told this correspondent that after hearing the news of disaster from Charkark of Subornachar they visited the spot and fixed a meeting with the local farmers in this regard on April 29.
Mostafa Khairul Islam, area manager of Comilla region of Energy-pack Agro Limited, said the disaster happened due to high temperature at day and unseasonable dew in the night time.
However, the affected farmers rejected the statement and said the disaster happened due to low quality seeds supplied by the companies.